What Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is known for

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Region is made up of a large piece of land, along with some smaller islands. There are cities, national forests, and lakes within the area. Some of the more famous things include the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Big Bay State Park, and the Apostle Islands. Other popular things in the zone include Chequamegon Bay, Bayfield, Three Lakes, Eagle River, Trude Lake, and Big Island State Wildlife Area. At the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, there are many activities to participate in. Because the national forest is located near lakes and rivers, guests visiting the forest can go swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. There are also multiple hiking trails and recreation areas.[1] 

Bayfield, one of the cities within the destination, has many attractions for its visitors, including things such as the Apostle Islands, the Brownstone Trail, Bayfield Maritime Museum, Madeline Island, orchard tours, and various restaurants. The Apostle Islands contain federal areas, shops, restaurants, museums, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and tours. The Brownstone Trail is a bike trail that goes near the shore. The bike trail can also be walked. The Bayfield Maritime Museum has multiple exhibits on the history of Bayfield, along with other things. Madeline Island has many activities for visitors to participate in, the main ones being shops, stores, and restaurants. The Orchard tours go around the orchard. Guests can see the different plants the orchard is growing and can buy things during their visit. Also within Bayfield are many restaurants where people can eat. Examples of these restaurants are the Copper Trout, The Fat Radish, Pier Plaza Restaurant, and Cafe Seiche.[3] 

Other things to do within Bayfield include kayaking to Lake Superior sea caves, going to the marina, driving on the Bayfield "Fruit Loop,"—which is named because it is a road that passes through various orchards—and renting sailboats. Additionally, Lake Superior has sea caves that people can explore on kayaks. The marina in Bayfield houses many boats. At the marina, people can go swimming, fishing, and paddleboarding. Guests can also rent sailboats and take them out on the water during their stay.[4] 

The destination gets many visitors each year. In 2016, a total of 183,797 people visited the Apostle Islands and spent roughly $29,270,000. Of this money, 31.2 percent was spent on lodging, 27.2 percent was spent on food and beverages, 11.7 percent contributed to gas and oil, admissions and fees took up 10.2 percent, 9.7 percent was caused by souvenirs and other expenses, local transportation has 7.4 percent, and camping fees took up 2.5 percent of the money. The money ended up supporting jobs for those working on the Apostle Islands, along with those working in the surrounding areas. That same year, a lot of people visited the national parks in the area.[8] The area gets the most visitors in April but also gets a lot of visitors in June, August, and May.

Geography

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Region is located in Wisconsin. The west side of the border goes along the state line between Wisconsin and Minnesota, while part of the north border goes along the boundary between Wisconsin and Michigan. The north border also wraps around a series of islands and ends before touching the state line. The east border wraps around the cities of Eagle River, Three Lakes, and Rhinelander. The south end of the area curves around Park Falls, Hayward, and Minong. Notable geographic features within the region include the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Apostle Islands Maritime Forests State Natural Area, Big Bay State Park, the Apostle Islands, as well as various lakes and cities within the area. 

The zone is mostly flat, with many rivers, lakes, and trees. There are also islands within the region, along with a couple of hills and fields. Animals in the area include whitetail deer, black bears, snowshoe hare, waterfowl, woodcock, and ruffed grouse. Some of the medium to small sized creatures in the destination are red foxes, coyotes, beavers, and otters, squirrels, chipmunks, and woodchucks.[6] Plants in the area include various trees, weeds, and grass. Some of these plants include American elm, American plum, balsam fir, black locust, black walnut, black willow, box elder, alfalfa, black medick, common dandelion, white clover, chufa, oat, and toad rush.[7] 

Weather in the region has an average high of around 82 degrees Fahrenheit with a low of about 22 degrees. It never snows in the district. Rain is the most likely to fall in June, with other high months being September, October, and May. The territory is mildly humid, with the highest humidity being in December. The wind is the highest in April, with other chances of wind being high in January and February. Because of the weather, the best time to visit the destination is from the middle of May to the middle of September.[5]

History

Before they became national forests, Chequamegon and Nicolet were inhabited by Paleo-Indians, followed by the Archaic Indians and Woodland Tradition Indians. In the 1600s, Europeans arrived in the area. The Nicolet was named after Jean Nicolet, who was a French explorer who came to promote fur trading with the American Indians. The name Chequamegon comes from an Ojibway word that means "place of shallow water." It refers to Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay. Europeans and Indians alike made the forests their home during the 17th century. Soon after, lumberman moved into the area. They used the rivers to transport wood to the nearby sawmills. Later, the lumberman began using trains to move the wood instead of using the rivers. In the 1920s, lumbering reached its peak in the forest. 

Much of the land, now that it didn't have trees were sold to immigrants and farmers. However, the Northwoods had better soil to grow trees, so most of the farms were abandoned. Because of the trees being cut down, it was not uncommon for fires to spread over the land during the time period. In 1928 the government began buying land in the Northwoods to create a national forest. President Herbert Hoover issued a proclamation that established the Nicolet National Forest in 1933. Later, during the Great Depression, CCC camps were formed in the national forest.[2] In 1993 the Chequamegon and Nicolet National Forests began to be managed as one national forest instead of two.